Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) Given New $298.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by stock analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $288.00 to $298.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "market perform" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods' price target would suggest a potential upside of 0.09% from the company's current price.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on AJG. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $317.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, September 5th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $346.00 to $327.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, September 3rd. They set a "buy" rating and a $344.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Erste Group Bank reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $330.47.

Get Our Latest Report on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AJG traded up $0.99 on Friday, reaching $297.73. The company's stock had a trading volume of 467,041 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,519,625. The stock's 50-day moving average is $299.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $318.58. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 52-week low of $274.25 and a 52-week high of $351.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 1.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.36 and a beta of 0.72.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The financial services provider reported $2.33 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.36 by ($0.03). Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 14.54% and a return on equity of 13.17%. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.29 earnings per share. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s quarterly revenue was up 16.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 11.54 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, VP Scott R. Hudson sold 12,855 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.60, for a total value of $3,825,648.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 85,920 shares of the company's stock, valued at $25,569,792. This represents a 13.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Douglas K. Howell sold 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $299.78, for a total transaction of $899,340.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 114,777 shares in the company, valued at $34,407,849.06. The trade was a 2.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 3.1% during the second quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,604 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $513,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC raised its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 14.8% during the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 14,758 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $4,724,000 after purchasing an additional 1,903 shares during the period. Promus Capital LLC raised its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 23.9% during the second quarter. Promus Capital LLC now owns 3,696 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,183,000 after purchasing an additional 714 shares during the period. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the second quarter worth approximately $1,160,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC raised its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 3.4% during the second quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 8,399 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,689,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.53% of the company's stock.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co engages in the provision of insurance brokerage, reinsurance brokerage, consulting, and third-party claims settlement and administration services. It operates through the following segments: Brokerage, Risk Management, and Corporate. The Brokerage segment consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations.

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